5 Defining Moments: Wanderlei Silva

Picture a burly Brazilian with a shaved head and a terrifying tattoo at the base of his skull, all of it serving to reinforce a menacing presence. Add the frosty stare to the mix, and you have Wanderlei Silva, a lauded veteran of 51 fights during a 22-year professional mixed martial arts career. Silva registered a record of 35-14-1 with one no contest, securing victories over Ultimate Fighting Championship hall of famers Kazushi Sakuraba, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson, to name but a few of his victims. Once inside the cage or ring, his fiery eyes would track his opponents like prey, as he clasped his hands together and rolled his interlocked wrists under his chin. It became his patented pre-fight ritual.

Now more than a year removed from his official retirement, a look at five of the many moments that defined the man they called “The Axe Murderer”:

1. Reign of Fire

During his time in Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships, Silva morphed into arguably the most violent MMA practitioner the world had seen up to that moment. His run in the organization was marked by unprecedented achievement, as he established records for the most wins, knockouts, title defenses and longest winning streak in the promotion’s history. In November 2001, he beat fellow the great Sakuraba for a second time to lay hands on the inaugural Pride middleweight championship. Silva defended his throne against the likes of Kiyoshi Tamura, Hiromitsu Kanehara, Quinton Jackson and Ricardo Arona, cementing his legacy in the process.

2. Violence Begats Violence

Silva’s rivalry with the aforementioned Jackson is the stuff of MMA legend. They engaged in four thrilling clashes, starting with the first encounter at Pride Final Conflict 2003. It took Silva a little over six minutes to vanquish the American via technical knockout. The fight featured one of Jackson’s vintage slams and a taxing stretch of grappling exchanges before Silva assumed control with the thai clinch and unleashed a torrent of merciless knees that eventually resulted in a finish. The second clash at Pride 28 played out in much the same manner, with Jackson scoring from mount and Silva trying to sneak in a few submission attempts. At the 3:26 mark of the second round, Silva landed yet another vicious knee from the thai clinch that propelled “Rampage” through the ring ropes, his limp body coming to rest halfway in and halfway out of the ring. Jackson managed to exact revenge for the two losses with victories of his own, scoring a knockout with a thunderous left hook at UFC 92 and evening the series with a technical knockout at Bellator 206—the last appearance of Silva’s storied career.

3. A Long-Overdue Return

Silva could not quite fully showcase his skills in his first UFC run between October 1998 and April 2000, going 1-2 with losses to Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz. He returned to take on Chuck Liddell at UFC 79, banking on the success of his eventful Pride tenure. The legends engaged in an instant classic that saw Liddell emerge victorious via unanimous decision. While he largely failed to replicate his success in Japan inside the Las Vegas-based promotion, Silva still managed to entertain fans with thrilling encounters against Bisping, Rich Franklin and Brian Stann.

4. Enduring Legacy

Silva has left an indelible mark in the very fabric of MMA, and his accolades speak to his lasting impact. The Brazilian was awarded “Fight of the Night” honors five times in the UFC. He holds four middleweight title defenses in Pride and the longest title reign at 1,939 days. Besides that, his 20-fight undefeated run in the Japanese organization speaks volumes about his dominance, and an overall 77% knockout rate serves as a testament to the combat berserker he embodied. Silva’s reign can also be credited for popularizing the thai clinch in MMA, as he pulled his opponent’s head into a series of brutal knees with malicious intent.

5. Giving Back

Silva founded the Wand Fight Team in 2009—a mixed martial arts training organization in Las Vegas with a former franchise in Pensacola, Florida. He will be inducted into the Pioneer Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame later this year. Upon his enshrinement, Silva will become the 19th member of the wing, which features athletes who turned pro prior to Nov. 17, 2000.